Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said the party will focus on the four key areas of economy, climate change, community safety and new communities ahead of 2009 European and local elections.
Mr Adams was speaking at a special conference in Dublin to review the party's poor performance in the last election.
Mr Adams said the election result was disappointing but it was a wake-up call for the party. He conceded that Sinn Féin is not strong enough in many constituencies and the leadership needs to be expanded to be truly national.
He said that Sinn Féin will increase the profile of its TDs in the south but he will remain the overall leader and will continue to canvass during elections here.
Some 300 delegates attended the conference at Griffith College, which followed a series of internal party meetings on Sinn Féin's election performance.
Sinn Féin economics spokesperson Arthur Morgan said there must be a strategy to upskill workers. He said small business must be facilitated more when they need money to grow. He also said the economies north and south must be integrated.
Councillor Pádraig MacLochlainn said Fianna Fáil had misrepresented Sinn Féin on the economy during the election. He urged delegates to meet with business people in their areas to show that Sinn Féin backs business.
